Outcome 1 - Narrative
This year we have studied the folling texts -
American Beauty (1999 Dir. Sam Mendes)
Slumdog MIllionaire (2008 Dir. Danny Boyle)
Taken from the Media Study Design
This area of study focuses on an analysis of the narrative organisation of fictional film, radio or television programs. The narrative organisation in two or more media texts is analysed.
Narrative is a key element in the construction of meaning in media products. Narrative orders the events, images, words and sounds and attaches a specific importance to them within an overall framework. Narratives may be categorised into genres, generic hybrids or types of stories such as horror, soap opera and teen movies.
Production and story elements contribute to an audience’s response. Audiences are engaged by and respond to the narratives they experience in different ways; for example, enjoying the action and suspense, identifying with characters and situations, taking pleasure in particular scenes or aspects of narrative. Narrative elements may also contribute to the ideas communicated by the text; for example, themes, issues and motifs. In this area of study, the terms ‘media texts’ and ‘fictional media narrative’ refer to film, radio and television programs.
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse the nature and function of production and story elements in fictional media texts and discuss how combinations of these elements structure the narrative to engage an audience.
To achieve this outcome the student will draw on knowledge and related skills outlined in area of study 1.
Key knowledge
This knowledge includes
• the nature and function of production elements in fictional media narrative, including
– camera/film/video techniques and qualities including shot selection, movement and focus
– lighting, including naturalistic and expressive
– visual composition and mise en scene
– acting
– sound, including dialogue, music and sound effects
– editing/vision and sound design and mixing, including style, techniques, placement, pace and rhythm of editing;
• the nature and function of story elements in fictional media narrative, including
– the narrative possibilities, issues and/or ideas established in the opening sequence(s)
– establishment and development of the character(s) and relationships between characters
– the setting and its function in the narrative
– the ways in which multiple storylines may comment upon, contrast, interrelate or interconnect with other storylines in the plot
– the structuring of time, including order, duration and frequency of events, contraction and expansion of time, linear and non-linear time frames
– cause and effect, including character motivations
– point(s) of view from which the narrative is presented, including character or other viewpoint(s)
– narrative progression, including the relationship between the opening sequence(s), developments within the narrative and the closure of the narrative;
• the contribution of production elements to the narrative organisation of fictional media texts;
• the contribution of story elements to the narrative organisation of fictional media texts;
• the relationship between individual texts and the genre(s) or type of program(s) that the texts are related to;
• the relationship between production and story elements in the narrative organisation of fictional media texts in order to communicate ideas, for example, themes, issues and motifs;
• the relationship between text, reception context and audience experience, expectations and response; for example, pleasure in the action and suspense, circumstances under which the text is received, audience expectations of the text and how these can affect audience interpretation, emotional identification with characters and situations, appreciation of specific scenes, story elements and production values.
Key skills
These skills include the ability to
• identify and discuss the nature of production and story elements;
• analyse how story and production elements contribute to the development of issues, ideas and narrative possibilities within fictional narrative media texts;
• compare and contrast the function of production and story elements across different fictional media texts;
• analyse how audiences make sense of, and are engaged by, media texts.
American Beauty (1999 Dir. Sam Mendes)
Slumdog MIllionaire (2008 Dir. Danny Boyle)
Taken from the Media Study Design
This area of study focuses on an analysis of the narrative organisation of fictional film, radio or television programs. The narrative organisation in two or more media texts is analysed.
Narrative is a key element in the construction of meaning in media products. Narrative orders the events, images, words and sounds and attaches a specific importance to them within an overall framework. Narratives may be categorised into genres, generic hybrids or types of stories such as horror, soap opera and teen movies.
Production and story elements contribute to an audience’s response. Audiences are engaged by and respond to the narratives they experience in different ways; for example, enjoying the action and suspense, identifying with characters and situations, taking pleasure in particular scenes or aspects of narrative. Narrative elements may also contribute to the ideas communicated by the text; for example, themes, issues and motifs. In this area of study, the terms ‘media texts’ and ‘fictional media narrative’ refer to film, radio and television programs.
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse the nature and function of production and story elements in fictional media texts and discuss how combinations of these elements structure the narrative to engage an audience.
To achieve this outcome the student will draw on knowledge and related skills outlined in area of study 1.
Key knowledge
This knowledge includes
• the nature and function of production elements in fictional media narrative, including
– camera/film/video techniques and qualities including shot selection, movement and focus
– lighting, including naturalistic and expressive
– visual composition and mise en scene
– acting
– sound, including dialogue, music and sound effects
– editing/vision and sound design and mixing, including style, techniques, placement, pace and rhythm of editing;
• the nature and function of story elements in fictional media narrative, including
– the narrative possibilities, issues and/or ideas established in the opening sequence(s)
– establishment and development of the character(s) and relationships between characters
– the setting and its function in the narrative
– the ways in which multiple storylines may comment upon, contrast, interrelate or interconnect with other storylines in the plot
– the structuring of time, including order, duration and frequency of events, contraction and expansion of time, linear and non-linear time frames
– cause and effect, including character motivations
– point(s) of view from which the narrative is presented, including character or other viewpoint(s)
– narrative progression, including the relationship between the opening sequence(s), developments within the narrative and the closure of the narrative;
• the contribution of production elements to the narrative organisation of fictional media texts;
• the contribution of story elements to the narrative organisation of fictional media texts;
• the relationship between individual texts and the genre(s) or type of program(s) that the texts are related to;
• the relationship between production and story elements in the narrative organisation of fictional media texts in order to communicate ideas, for example, themes, issues and motifs;
• the relationship between text, reception context and audience experience, expectations and response; for example, pleasure in the action and suspense, circumstances under which the text is received, audience expectations of the text and how these can affect audience interpretation, emotional identification with characters and situations, appreciation of specific scenes, story elements and production values.
Key skills
These skills include the ability to
• identify and discuss the nature of production and story elements;
• analyse how story and production elements contribute to the development of issues, ideas and narrative possibilities within fictional narrative media texts;
• compare and contrast the function of production and story elements across different fictional media texts;
• analyse how audiences make sense of, and are engaged by, media texts.